How Dostoevsky Portrays Women in His Novels: A Feminist Analysis

Description

A new conversation between 19th century Russian literature and present-day feminist theology is initiated through consideration of Dostoevsky's art in relation to women and the Gospel. The biographical sketch describes Dostoevsky's public life as a novelist and journalist, and also his private life as a husband and father, including the personal relationships and events in his life which may be supposed to have influenced his writing about women and children. Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………… i Transliteration and references …………………………………………… iii Chronology of Dostoevsky’s life and publications ……………………… v Foreword …………………………………………………………………… vii by Professor Joe Andrew 1 Introduction ………………………………………………………… 1 1.1: Rationale and methodology …………………………………… 1 1.2: A ‘new word’ for feminist theologians ………………………… 4 1.3: Theology and literature ………………………………………… 5 1.4: Feminist theology and women’s experience …………………… 15 1.5: Thematic development ………………………………………… 24 1.6: Literary theory and interpretation of the text …………………… 26 1.7: Structure and development ……………………………………… 30 1.8: A new conversation …………………………………………… 32 2 Dostoevsky’s life: a biographical sketch ………………………… 33 2.1: Status of the biography of the writer …………………………… 33 2.2: Dostoevsky’s early years ……………………………………… 35 2.3: Formative adult experiences …………………………………… 37 2.4: Dostoevsky’s wives, daughters, and friends …………………… 38 2.5: The Decembrist wives ………………………………………… 44 2.6: Dostoevsky’s view of art ……………………………………… 46 2.7: Dostoevsky’s artistic response to the influence of women ……… 48 3 Development of a theological perspective in the early novels …… 49 3.1: Introduction …………………………………………………… 49 3.2: Poor Folk ……………………………………………………… 49 3.3: Netochka Nezvanova …………………………………………… 54 3.4: Notes from Underground ……………………………………… 65 3.5: Conclusion ……………………………………………………… 71 4 Crime and Punishment ……………………………………………… 73 I: INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………… 73 4.1: Critical views of Crime and Punishment ……………………… 73 4.2: Critical views of Sonya ………………………………………… 74 II: SONYA AND RASKOLNIKOV: THE PORTRAIT OF A RELATIONSHIP …………………………………………………… 80 4.3: Introducing Sonya ……………………………………………… 80 4.4: Enter Sonya …………………………………………………… 81 4.5: Sonya visits Raskolnikov ……………………………………… 84 4.6: Raskolnikov’s first visit to Sonya ……………………………… 86 4.7: Raskolnikov’s second visit to Sonya …………………………… 89 4.8: Raskolnikov’s third visit to Sonya ……………………………… 92 III: MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, AND SISTERS …………………… 95 4.9: Women’s voices ………………………………………………… 95 4.10: The sister: Avdotya Romanovna (Dunya) …………………… 96 4.11: The mother, Pulcheria Alexandrovna ………………………… 99 4.12: The mother writes to her son ………………………………… 103 4.13: The stepmother, Katerina Ivanovna …………………………… 105 IV: THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CLOTHING ………… 110 4.14: The role of the seamstress …………………………………… 110 V: THE EPILOGUE TO CRIME AND PUNISHMENT …………… 113 4.15: Metanoia: conversion or change of heart? …………………… 113 VI: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………… 119 4.16: Sonya’s ‘new word’ for Raskolnikov ………………………… 119 5 Idiot ………………………………………………………………… 121 I: INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………… 121 5.1: A ‘perfectly beautiful’ human being …………………………… 121 5.2: Social context and setting ……………………………………… 123 5.3: Female relationships: a feminist theological perspective ……… 124 5.4: Woman as heroine or victim? …………………………………… 128 II: ICONIC REPRESENTATION …………………………………… 131 5.5: Images of Christ ………………………………………………… 131 5.6: Portrayal of beauty in women ………………………………… 137 5.7: The disappearing heroine ……………………………………… 138 III: WOMEN IN IDIOT ……………………………………………… 140 5.8: Lizaveta Prokofyevna Yepanchina ……………………………… 140 5.9: Nastasya Filippovna and Aglaya ……………………………… 141 5.10: Letters and meetings …………………………………………… 150 5.11: Nastasya Filippovna’s letters to Aglaya ……………………… 153 IV: MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS; SISTERS AND RIVALS …… 156 5.12: Mimesis and the art of conversation …………………………… 156 5.13: Part One ……………………………………………………… 157 5.14: Part Two ……………………………………………………… 159 5.15: Part Three ……………………………………………………… 159 5.16: Part Four ……………………………………………………… 160 V: CONCLUSION …………………………………………………… 168 5.17: Development of the concept of beauty in human relationships 168 6 Krotkaya …………………………………………………………… 171 6.1: Introduction …………………………………………………… 171 6.2: Questions of form ……………………………………………… 173 6.3: Questions of translation and intertextuality …………………… 178 6.4: Chapter headings ……………………………………………… 181 6.5: Questions raised by the Pawnbroker …………………………… 182 6.6: Setting …………………………………………………………… 184 6.7: Duality (antithetical pairs) ……………………………………… 187 6.8: Points of view …………………………………………………… 188 6.9: Time …………………………………………………………… 191 6.10: Peripeteia ……………………………………………………… 192 6.11: The duel ……………………………………………………… 194 6.12: The Pawnbroker as the ‘double’ – the split personality ……… 196 6.13: Dreams ………………………………………………………… 200 6.14: The song and the voice ………………………………………… 201 6.15: Power and revenge …………………………………………… 205 6.16: The icon ……………………………………………………… 206 6.17: Iconic representation in Krotkaya …………………………… 209 6.18: Conclusion …………………………………………………… 214 7 Brothers Karamazov ………………………………………………… 217 I: INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………… 217 7.1: The concept of personal sacrifice in loving relationships ……… 217 II: ‘A NICE LITTLE FAMILY’ ……………………………………… 219 7.2: Family relationships …………………………………………… 219 III: ‘WOMEN OF FAITH’ ………………………………………… 223 7.3: The sacrificial love of the mother ……………………………… 223 IV: LIZA KHOKHLAKOVA ………………………………………… 232 7.4: The daughter’s point of view …………………………………… 232 7.5: The mother’s point of view …………………………………… 238 7.6: Liza confronts her demons ……………………………………… 241 V: KATERINA AND GRUSHENKA ……………………………… 248 7.7: ‘Sisters and rivals’ in Brothers Karamazov …………………… 248 7.8: Katerina and Grushenka meet Alyosha ………………………… 251 7.9: Character of Katerina …………………………………………… 254 7.10: Character of Grushenka ……………………………………… 258 VI: DREAMS ……………………………………………………… 262 7.11: Grushenka’s dream …………………………………………… 262 7.12: Dmitri’s dream ………………………………………………… 263 7.13: Liza’s dreams ………………………………………………… 264 VII: THE TRIAL …………………………………………………… 265 7.14: The final confrontation between Katerina and Grushenka …… 265 VIII: CONCLUSION ……………………………………………… 267 7.15: The example of the Mother of God in personal and family relationships ………………………………………………………… 267 7.16: Maternal grief and Christian forgiveness ……………………… 269 8 Conclusion ………………………………………………………… 273 8.1: Summary of thematic references and questions ………………… 273 8.2: A feminist theological response ………………………………… 274 8.3: Diaries and letters ……………………………………………… 275 8.4: Dostoevsky as journalist and novelist ………………………… 278 8.5: Mothers and daughters ………………………………………… 283 8.6: What is new for feminist theologians in this study? …………… 286 8.7: Concluding remarks …………………………………………… 288 Appendix A: Child abuse themes………………………………………… 291 Appendix B: Matryosha (Devils) ………………………………………… 297 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………… 303 Index ……………………………………………………………………… 317